The Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Kings make a surprising trade, putting Jalen McDaniels in a strange situation.
Surprising turn of events on draft day: On Thursday afternoon, Raptors forward Jalen McDaniels was part of a trade. The 26-year-old was sent to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for guard Davion Mitchell, former EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov and number 45. The news surprised not only NBA fans, but apparently also McDaniels himself.
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The 2.06 meter tall man apparently found out about his trade in an unusual way. His personal trainer Clint Parks gave him the news and recorded his immediate reaction in his Instagram story. In the video, Parks can be heard informing McDaniels about his move to the Kings. McDaniels asked in surprise: “Me? Me?!” and Parks confirmed: “Yes, you!”
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Details des Deals
The deal saves the Kings nearly $8.4 million in salary costs for the 2024-25 season. McDaniels, who will make $4.7 million next season according to Bleacher Report, is expected to help the Kings get under the luxury tax line. Vezenkov and Mitchell will make a combined $13.1 million.
McDaniels’ future with the Kings
McDaniels is entering his sixth NBA season. The Kings will be his fourth team after being drafted 52nd overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2019 NBA Draft. He previously played college at San Diego State University.
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The Canadian team signed him before last season, with Raptors president Masai Ujiri openly expressing his confidence in the forward in the announcement: “Jalen is a hard-working, defensive-minded player who we believe has tremendous growth potential. He brings versatility on both ends of the court, and we look forward to seeing how he develops as a member of the Raptors.”
In 50 games for Toronto, the 26-year-old McDaniels averaged 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game with a hit rate of 34 percent.
New opportunities for the Raptors
The Raptors will have a chance to see if Mitchell can return to his old form in a new environment. Mitchell was the No. 9 overall pick in 2021, but after a decent rookie season in which he averaged 11.5 points per game, he has lagged behind those numbers and expectations over the past two seasons.
He could now be an asset to Toronto’s defense. The 25-year-old is known for his strong defensive qualities and is expected to improve the defensive problems of the franchise, which ranked 25th in the league last season.
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Vezenkov entered the NBA last season after originally being drafted by the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. Sacramento acquired his draft rights from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022.
2024-06-29 08:48:06
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